Tag Archives: Aging

“You are essentially who you create yourself to be
and all that occurs in your life
is the result of your own making.”~ Stephen Richards.

One of the greatest internal powers we have, is the power to control our own thoughts. And the one thing all of us need to act on, is to get our thoughts back on track with positive ideas …… You see, most of us have dreams. But some people never see their dreams come true. Instead of soaring through the clouds, their dreams languish like a broken down limousine, confined to its workshop.

The most fascinating part of dreams is; the more vivid and clear the thought, the more we come back to it and consequently the stronger it becomes. Or, each time we rethink and dwell on it, or layer it with other thoughts, we are strengthening the structure on which we build our idea. And dreams are limited only by our power of imagination and the strength of our desire.

Thus, you may say, our success depends on how well we think. While we may have a tendency to let our attitudes take the dive along with our state of affairs but, don’t you think if we are going to be successful, we need to know how to deal with them and keep our attitude intact?

Very often we come across people who aren’t following their dreams, resent us from pursuing our dreams. They feel inadequate when we succeed. So they try to drag us down. But, on another note, people are improving their lives every day. Whether you do or not, doesn’t matter to those who do. They are going to do it, regardless. It is simply a decision being made. But, why not let the person be you?

While life keep dealing us with setbacks; both major and minor, we have to be mindful that we pilot our own dreams. We cannot entrust them to anyone else. Indecision is the thief of opportunity. It will steal our chances of a better future. So be courageous in your life and in the pursuit of things you want and the person you want to become.

Let your dream run free …… We are either trapped by the regret of the past or the routine of the present. What that affect our dream is our own ability to see the future. Thus, always make sure the greatest pull on you is the pull of the future. Be mindful, life is not a sprint but a marathon. Be the tortoise, not the hare. Take your time, do it right. Keep going in the right direction and don’t give up quality for speed. Don’t be easily discouraged. Breakthrough ideas often occur when we are calmly searching for opportunities. They rarely occur when we are anxious and frustrated. Remember, slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance.

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead.” – Louisa May Alcott.

Some of us seem to have a love-hate relationship with goals. On one hand, we love them because goals are such great ideas that motivate and inspire us to achieve. But hate them on the other hand because for many, they go unattainable and simply frustrate them.

The crux of the matter is, as human beings, we have an innate and sometimes an unstoppable desire to dream. Say, to dream of a better situation, a better quality of life, a better financial position for ourselves, our loved ones and so forth. Besides, what is even more powerful is we have the ability to not only pursue our dreams, but also the ability to plan and map out strategies to achieve our dreams.

Then, why is it such good intentions aren’t always translated into action? Indeed, many of us know we ought to set goals but we don’t for a variety of reasons. A common excuse that comes up frequently is we don’t know what to set goals about. You see, we set goals because we understand how much focusing on our personal development and personal success can improve the many aspects in our life.

Give a thought …… What are your dreams and goals? What is it that you want? Have you really sat down and thought through your life’s values and decide what you really want? Or, have you taken the time to reflect and listen quietly to your heart and to see what dreams live within you?

Give a thought …… Like everyone else, your dreams are there. They may live right on the surface or buried deep down somewhere, after so many of others telling you they were foolish …… but they are there and are still there.

Give a thought …… Quiet the mind and visualize; “You are now in a better situation, living a much better quality of life, in a sound financial position to provide for the comfort of your loved ones though once you thought were almost impossible.” Does this inspire and worthy of another attempt to translate all your good intentions into action?

Give a thought …… It is about setting the right goals. I mean, setting goals that mean something to you and that are in alignment with your values. Right goals will motivate and empower you. Nothing is too large or too small. A small thing can sometimes be the trigger that leads to the fulfillment of a much bigger goal. Dream big. Don’t limit yourself. Forget about being realistic at this point – after all, who wants to be realistic and set goals that are easily achievable?

My parting thought; “If you don’t have a goal in life, you are spending your life running around and not achieving anything for yourself.” – Bill Copeland.

Once again, “Thank You” for visiting “Have A Dream.” Have a great new week and Give A Thought. !!!

As I thought about how to expand on my previous post, “Stay Happy.” I was overwhelmed by a wonderful feeling of contentment …… Life is not so much about winning or losing – it is about living.

Happiness reminds us that each day is precious and each day we can choose to be happy. Say, we can choose to live by our values and we can choose to be grateful for the amazing possibilities we are given. But, making any successful and positive change requires forethought. It is always better to feel that we are moving towards something new and exciting with our eyes fully wide open rather than doing things blindly – without giving due consideration.

“Peace of mind” is an elusive and precious sense of contentment. If we look for it. we won’t find it. It only comes to us when our mind is still and empty of negative emotions. Say, guilt, bitterness and anxiety. These negative emotions can dominate our thoughts and sap our energy. Thus, in moving forward to find peace of mind, we must not be held back by these negative emotions unnecessarily.

Perhaps, you may agree life is full of hard knocks. And for some, life can be a harsh experience of one setback after another. Thankfully, for most of us, life hast treated us more kindly. Except from time to time, we may feel pain, disappointment, despair and so forth.

In sports, all of us have seen pictures of athletics howling in pain, when they stumbled on the track or took a hard fall. Many times it’s not just because of the physical pain of a hamstring and so forth. It is also the inconsolable dream of having a dream dashed on the ground.

Have a dream. Better still, have an inspiring dream or vision. Thinking too much about the future can sometimes affect our happiness and peace of mind. Anxiety about the future can take over, affecting our decisions and our enjoyment to life. And not fret what may or may not lie ahead.

My parting thought; “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin.

Big things always have a way of making us feel a tad insignificant. Remember how you felt the last time you met someone who was bigger than life or stunningly talented? And did you felt like less? …… Basically, we are all connected. And when we witness amazing people, it is normal if we tend to feel unamazing by comparisons. But, amazing doesn’t fit everywhere. Stop thinking. Start living. Stay happy. And drop the perception that amazing people somehow diminish those of us who don’t seem to be.

“It is so hard to forget pain, but it’s even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace.” – Chuck Palahniuk.”Diary.”

Thoughts can influence our bodily functions. Say our sleep, our digestion, our pulse and so forth. Every thought we have can either move us towards God’s given potential or away from it. And no thoughts are neutral. Thus, by our manner of thinking we can either draw out the best in ourselves and others or we can draw out the worst.

Thoughts can shift our lives in a particular direction. Sometimes in a minor way and sometimes in a major way. And every individual thought matters. Say, if your goal is to maximize your potential for joy, then you must first discipline yourself mentally.

You see, right thinking is a choice you have to make for the rest of your life. And when our minds are renewed, circumstances take care of themselves. People who have not cultivated the habit of making decisions do not realize how much power they have. As a matter of fact, our capacity for choice is an awesome power within us and that one can take that away from us.

Being happy is easy. Being unhappy is complicated. Happiness tells us deep down we are already deeply connected to each other and it reminds us to enjoy that. Besides, everything we do in our lives are determined by our choices. Say, we can choose to change every part of our lives, our career, our energy levels, our health, relationships, income and so forth ……

“True happiness is not found in any other reward other than that of being united with God.” – Thomas Merton.

“Happiness is not something made. It comes from your actions.” – Dalai Lama.

“Of all forms of caution, caution in love perhaps is the most fatal to true happiness. – Bertrand Russell. “The Conquest of Happiness.”

“Forget the times of your distress, but never forget what they taught you.” – Unknown.

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” – Oprah Winfey.

“If we cannot live so as to be happy, let us least live so as to deserve it. – Immanuel Herman Ficthe.

“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestation of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness you never lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.” – Elizabeth Gilbert. “Eat, Pray, Love.”.

“Thoughts are things; they have tremendous power. Thoughts of doubt and fear are pathways to failure. When you conquer negative attitudes of doubts and fear you conquer failure. Thoughts crystallize into habit and habit solidifies into circumstances.” – Bryan Adams.

With the current global economy and financial markets undergoing unprecedented volatility and uncertainty in mind, feeling good is a great way on which we build our happiness. But happiness does not mean being up all the time. We can experience an overall feeling of happiness while feeling all sorts of different emotions. Say, we can be calm and happy or excited and happy at the same time. Or, we can be happy even though we don’t look happy or is completely silent about it.

You see, the fact is, our thoughts create our feelings. Good thoughts create peace and bad thoughts lead to mental tension, with no peace. Our thoughts are the basis of all our action and it creates vibrations in the atmosphere. For instance, thoughts of happiness, contentment and peace when spread into the atmosphere can be felt and experienced by others. So to save yourself from useless and painful feelings avoid negative thoughts whenever you can.

On another note, sometimes silence isn’t just good but necessary because silence do have a calming effect. For instance, when we simply do noting but meditate or yoga. When the mind is clear, the words we exchange will be filled with wisdom and significance. There will be no other feelings to cloud issues. So our words are the basis for clear communication and good relationships.

Lastly, as we embark into writing a new chapter of our lives, sometimes our thoughts are not real. You may probably agree nothing lasts forever. But one must be hopeful though ……

“Since we cannot do anything about the length of our lifetime, why not do something about its width and depth.”

Thank You for visiting “Have A Dream” and may you have one of the most successful and fruitful year in 2013 !!!

First and foremost, a “Happy New Year” to each and every one of you ……

Despite the earlier fears of another global recession and economic slowdown, we are glad to ride through those waves of uncertainty without much hindrance.

Perhaps there may be some of us who are still recovering from the merrymaking of Christmas. The New Year is just around the corner and is waiting for us. In a matter of hours, we will bid adieu to a year filled with happy and sad moments, good and bad experiences and memories that have affected us in one way or another.

As 2013 dawns upon us, let us celebrate …… past, present and future successes and the realization of our all our aspirations.

“I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire. I’ll never forget the look on my father’s face as he gathered me up in his arms and raced through the burning building out to the pavement. I stood there shivering in my pyjamas and watched the whole world up in flames. And when it was all over, I said to myself; “Is there all there is to a fire?”

(Sung) Is that all there is, is that all there is Is that all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing Let’s break out the booze and have a ball Is that all there is.

And when I was 12 years old, my father took me to a circus, the greatest show on earth. There were clowns and elephants and dancing bears. And a beautiful lady in pink tights flew high above our heads. And so I sat there watching the marvelous spectacle. I had the feeling that something was missing. I don’t know what, but when it was over, I said to myself, “Is that all there is to a circus?”

This song; “Is That All There Is?” was written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller in the 1960s and was recorded by American singer, Peggy Lee in 1969.

As I revisit and reflect on this post, I am saddened by the untimely death of an Indian medical student who was severely beaten, raped and thrown out of a moving bus in New Delhi recently. The victim was then airlifted to Singapore for treatment but later succumbed to her injuries.

I am not disillusioned with life. Like most people, I believe life offers abundant opportunities for both laughter and tears. Life is an adventure and a celebration. All of us hit hard times. The good times, we will put in our pocket to savor and the difficult times go to our heart and into our soul. Failure, defeat and loss afflict us all. Neither the good times nor the hard times will last forever. What is essential is to keep focused, even through the hard times on our dreams and goals. Reject thinking negatively and reject thiose negative people holding you back

Life certainly has tested me in the true sense of the word. We need people who care. As a matter of fact, anything can be borne if we are surrounded by our family and friends. Whereas, a minor setback can derail any one of us trying to muscle through it alone. I reckon as in any period of difficulty in our lives, the important thing to do is not to allow our emotions rule our thoughts and actions.

In “Is There All There Is?” Peggy Lee tells of witnessing her family house on fire when she was a little girl, seeing the circus and falling in love for the first time. And after each recital she expressed her disappointment in the experience and suggest that “we break out the booze and have a ball …….. if that’s all there is” instead of worrying about life.

Those who lose sight of their faith tends to become like ships without rudder and become lost in a sea of distractions. Place your trust in a power greater in yourself and to believe good things are going to follow. Great things will occur when we get up, dust ourselves off and go after life with greater determination and stronger courage.

I learnt to be thankful for all that has happened and thankful for all the wonderful lessons life has taught me. You know why? It has made my life so rich with experience …… and so much to share with others. Each was a blessing in disguise. Each encounter was a wonderful lesson and never to repeat it again. And believe me, be patient. We will soon see and hear the real stuff in each of this encounter ……

“I know what you must be saying to yourself if that’s the way she feels about it why doesn’t she just end it all? Oh, no, not me. I’m in no hurry for that final disappointment for I know just as well as I’m standing here talking to you’ when that final moment comes and I’m breathing my last breadth, I’ll be saying to myself

(Sung) Is that all there is, is that all there is Is that all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing Let’s break out the booze and have a ball If that all there is.”

Looking back, an issue that caught most of our attention and had most of us anticipating was the prediction of doom and gloom in the Mayan calender.

The good news is as of posting, nothing happened. Or, to put it in a lighter vein, we survived. Please do not get me wrong, I mean the world still remain as statue quo and we survived the much hyped doomsday catastrophe.

Indeed, the doomsday theory has taught us many valuable lessons of life. For instance, we are not able to go against nature and we are not the one who decides when to leave.

Besides, the significance of the date has been erroneously misinterpreted to mean the end of the world very simply because it goes no further. Earth will continue to exist and moving forward the fiscal woes will still be hanging there for a while. And, like it or otherwise, change will remain inevitable as we enter into a New Cycle of Light after tens of years of Darkness, a New Beginning, a New World and the ending of one whose time has come.

As we briefly reflect 2012, I believe one can easily find enough events and reasons to celebrate life’s little blessings.You may say;”The Cycle of life is always bittersweet” – but, it is something that you and yours truly will have to go through.

On another note, I got hold of the latest copy of Newsweek; “#LAST PRINT ISSUE” earlier this morning. In it, Tina Brown wrote; “A New Chapter. Sometimes, change isn’t just good, it’s necessary.” 2013 is waiting for us. Change is inevitable. Thus, in moving forward, let us find the strength through as best as we can

Happy New Year and Blessings everyone !!!

Michael.

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When people say to me, "How do you do so many things?" I often answer them, without meaning to be cruel: "How do you do so little?" It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do vast extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever. --- Philip Adams.